Safety Tips: Social Media

Below listed are several ways through which you can keep yourself safe on social networking sites--

❑ Please do not share personal information online:
Do not post your address, phone number or other personal contact information anywhere on social media. Access can be gained through mediums such as hacking, phishing or malware.

❑ Secure your profile:
Use complex passwords that include alphanumeric and special characters. Learn more about how to set strong passwords here!
Avoid using recovery questions which have easy-to-guess responses. For example- a pets name.
Avoid using unsecure devices such as a library computer, to access your social media profiles.
Do not share your login information with others.

❑ Properly set up the privacy settings and preferences within the social media apps and sites:
Do not feel obligated to respond to messages and friend/follower requests that are annoying on unwanted.
Do not make your information accessible to the public
Please turn off location-sharing, and the ability to check-in to places. If you need to let your family or friends know where you are, use your private messages rather than sharing it with the entire social network.

❑ Safety is teamwork:
If you see harmful or sexually suggestive or graphic content on social media, please use the report button. Your click can make a difference.

❑ Think before you respond!
Avoid responding to posts or commenting on them when you are upset or angry. Step away from your device. Reacting impulsively can make the situation worse. Exit the site or app. Take as much time as you need to think through the situation before responding.

❑ Expressing views surrounding religion or politics:
While you are entitled to an opinion, sharing one about controversial topics can result in unsafe and harmful behavior. The opinions can be interpreted in different ways and this can lead the author to receiving hate and threats from others online.

Questions for discussion:
❑ How do you keep yourself safe on social media?
❑ How important do you think it is for people to incorporate empathy during the process of posting content on social media?
❑ How has online safety helped you?
❑ Do you have any additional safety tips or suggestions for those who use social media in their everyday lives?

Please be sure to visit the Safety & Knowledge community and click the blue Join this Community button on top, for the latest community updates.

Thank you for your contributions towards keeping our community safe and supportive!